Set of parts that can be secured

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a set of pieces  10, 20  comprising a first series of pieces and a second series of pieces, the pieces of the two series presenting bodies that are analogous but that differ in their colors. Fastener means  11  are fitted to the bodies of each piece in the first series, connection means  21  are fitted to the bodies of each piece of the second series, the connection means being distinct from the fastener means, the fastener means and the connection means co-operating to assemble together the pieces on which they appear. The set is remarkable in that the pieces of the first series do not have connection means and the pieces of the second series do not have fastener means.

The present invention relates to a set of pieces suitable for being assembled together.

The field of the invention is that of board games comprising a board on which pieces are moved.

In some such games, it may be necessary to stack one piece on another, This applies for example in the game of checkers when one of the players moves a man onto the last row of squares in front of the player, The piece then becomes a king, i.e. two men are stacked one on the other.

This also applies in a new game that likewise comprises a board that can be thought of as a checkerboard or a chessboard. That game thus has a set of pieces that are arranged in two series. The two series of pieces are analogous butt they are of colors that are distinct so that they can be distinguished, as in checkers or chess. Generally, one series of pieces is white and the other is black. One series of pieces is for one player and the other series is for that player's opponent.

The way in which the various pieces are moved is not described in detail because it is of little importance for understanding the invention. The invention is equally applicable regardless of the rules for making moves.

The game is thus played by two players. An object of the game is to take all of the opponent's pieces or to have pieces of one's own color in a dominant position on the board. According to a particular feature of the game, a player may use one of his or her own pieces, e.g. a white piece, to attack a piece belonging to the opponent, which is black in this example. The player can then stack the two pieces one on the other head-to-head, such that the player's own piece is on top of the opponent's piece. This produces a stack where the black piece is underneath the white piece.

The problem with that stack is that it is relatively unstable, particularly when the pieces are not cylindrical. By way of example, consideration may be given to pieces that are approximately frustoconical in shape, each having a base that is of area that is significantly greater than its top.

By way of example, document U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,188 is known, which teaches a magnetic game board. The pieces in its two series are identical. Those pieces are cylindrical magnets and they are indistinguishable other than by their colors.

Because those pieces are solid magnets, they are totally symmetrical and they cannot be given an original shape presenting an irregular outline. Shaping such pieces out of magnets would be prohibitively expensive.

Also known as Documents U.S. Pat. No. 2,485,143 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,101,131. Both of those documents provide a set of pieces comprising a first series of pieces and a second series of pieces, the pieces in the two series present bodies that are analogous but that differ in color. Furthermore, fastener means and connection means are fitted to the body of each piece in the two series, and those two means co-operate in order to assemble together the pieces on which they appear. In these documents, the object is to stack a plurality of pieces that are indistinguishable except in color.

If it is assumed that only two pieces are to be secured to each other, then the above-described arrangement is redundant since only one of those means is used on one of the pieces and only the complementary means is used on the other piece.

An object of the present invention is thus to stabilize the head-to-head assembly of two pieces of different colors, more particularly when the pieces are not cylindrical, and to do so by minimizing the means needed for assembling them together.

According to the invention, a set of pieces comprises a first series of pieces and a second series of pieces, the pieces of the two series presenting bodies that are analogous but that differ in their colors, fastener means being fitted to the bodies of each piece in the first series, connection means being fitted to the bodies of each piece of the second series, the connection means being distinct from the fastener means, the fastener means and the connection means co-operating to assemble together the pieces on which they appear; this set is remarkable in that the pieces of the first series do not have connection means and the pieces of the second series do not have fastener means.

Two pieces, one piece of the first series and one piece of the second series, can thus be assembled together in simple manner, with this making use of only one means on each of the two pieces.

In a preferred embodiment, the fastener means are arranged at the tops of the pieces of the first series.

By analogy, the connection means are arranged at the tops of the pieces of the second series.

Advantageously, the fastener means comprise a magnet with its north pole appearing at the top face and the connection means comprise a magnet with its south pole appearing at its top face.

Alternatively, the fastener means and the connection means are mechanical members.

By way of example, the fastener means comprise a cylindrical peg and the connection means comprise a socket matching the peg.

The present invention appears in greater detail below in the context of the following description of embodiments given by way of illustration and with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic section of a piece of the first series in a first embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic section of a piece of the second series in the first embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic section of a stack of the two pieces shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic section of a piece of the first series in a second embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic section of a piece of the second series in the second embodiment; and

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic section of a stack of the two pieces shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

Identical elements present in more than one of the figures are given the same references in each of them.

With reference to FIG. 1, in a first embodiment, a piece 10 of the first series, e.g. of white color, has a body in the form of a truncated cone with its base being larger than its top. It thus appears in section as an isosceles trapezoid with its large base at the bottom and with its top being the small base.

The body has a magnet 11 as fastener means, which magnet is thus fitted horizontally to its top, being set back a little from the top face 12 of the piece. The magnet is arranged in such a manner that its north pole faces the top face 12.

By way of example, this piece may be made by over molding a plastics material onto the magnet.

With reference to FIG. 2, in this first embodiment, a piece 20 of the second series, e.g. of black color, is analogous to the piece 10 described with reference to FIG. 1. In other words, its body has the same shape and it differs therefrom by its color.

The body has a magnet 12 as connection means, which magnet is thus fitted horizontally to its top, being set back a little from the top face 22 of the piece. The magnet is arranged in such a manner that its south pole faces the top face 22. As a result, the connection means are distinct from the fastener means since the two magnets 11 and 12 are arranged opposite ways round.

With reference to FIG. 3, the two above-described pieces 10 and 20 are stacked head-to-head, i.e. their tops 12 and 22 are juxtaposed so that the two magnets 11 and 21 are close to each ocher. The piece 10 of the first series is shown underneath in its normal position while the piece 20 of the second series is placed upside-down on the preceding piece. Thus, the two pieces 10 and 20 are temporarily assembled together.

This conformation is given purely by way of indication and the invention naturally applies regardless of the way in which the two pieces 10 and 20 of different colors are assembled together. By way of example, it is possible to envisage placing the magnet 21 of the piece 20 of the second series level with its base rather than at its top. Under such circumstances, the stack is no longer head-to-head, and the two pieces 10 and 20 retain their original positions, the base of the piece 20 of the second series coming into contact with the top of the piece 10 of the first series.

It should also be observed that the invention makes it possible to assemble pieces of different shapes. The important point is that each of the pieces presents a zone for assembly purposes. These zones must present surfaces that are plane so that they can come into contact. The magnets are then arranged in these zones.

With reference to FIG. 4, in a second embodiment, a piece 40 of the first series, e.g. of white color, has the same general shape as the corresponding piece 10 in the first embodiment. It still presents a body of frustoconical shape with its base greater than its top. Nevertheless, the fastener means are different.

In this example, the body of the first piece 40 is fitted with a peg 41 that projects from its top 42. This peg 41 acting as fastener means is in the shape of a vertical solid cylinder.

With reference to FIG. 5, in this second embodiment, a piece 50 of the second series, e.g. of black color, is analogous to the piece 40 described with reference to FIG. 4.

A socket 51 is arranged in the top 52 of the second piece 50. This socket 51 acts as connection means and is likewise in the form of a vertical cylinder, but this cylinder is hollow. The section of this cylinder is substantially identical to, or very slightly greater than the section of the peg 41.

Once more, the connection means are distinct from the fastener means.

With reference to FIG. 6, the two above-described pieces 40 and 50 are stacked head-to-head, i.e. their tops are juxtaposed. The peg 41 is received in the socket 51. The clearance between these two elements is such that a small amount of force is needed to assemble them together. Thus, when taking hold of one of the two pieces, the other piece remains secured thereto.

The resulting assembly is such that the piece 40 of the first series is underneath in its normal position, while the piece 50 of the second series is upside-down on the preceding piece. The two pieces 40 and 50 are thus temporarily assembled together.

The second embodiment described above is a simple example of mechanical assembly in which the assembly members are mechanical members, namely the peg 41 and the socket 51.

The invention applies regardless of the type of coupling between the two pieces in question. The person skilled in the art has numerous techniques available for achieving such coupling and there is therefore no need to describe them all.

The embodiments of the invention described above have been selected because of their concrete nature. Nevertheless, it is not possible to list exhaustively all embodiments covered by the invention. In particular, any means described may be replaced by equivalent means without going beyond the ambit of the present invention. 

1. A set of pieces (10, 20, 40, 50) comprising a first series of pieces and a second series of pieces, the pieces of the two series presenting bodies that are analogous but that differ in their colors, fastener means (11, 41) being fitted to the bodies of each piece in the first series, connection means (21, 51) being fitted to the bodies of each piece in the second series, said connection means being distinct from said fastener means, said fastener means and said connection means co-operating to assemble together the pieces on which they appear, the set being characterized in that the pieces of the first series do not have connection means and the pieces of the second series do not have fastener means.
 2. A set of pieces according to claim 1, characterized in that said fastener means (11, 41) are arranged at the tops (12, 42) of the pieces of said first series (10, 40).
 3. A set of pieces according to characterized in that said connection means (21, 51) are arranged at the tops (22, 52) of the pieces of said second series (20, 50).
 4. A set of pieces according to claim 1, characterized in that said fastener means (11) comprise a magnet with its north pole appearing at the top face and in that said connection means (21) comprise a magnet with its south pole appearing at its top face.
 5. A set of pieces according to any one of claim 1, characterized in that said fastener means (41) and said connection means (51) are mechanical members.
 6. A set of pieces according to claim 5, characterized in that said fastener means comprise a cylindrical peg (41) and said connection means comprise a socket (51) matching the peg. 